Page 46 of A Chance to Dance with the Duke
When Carver shot him a sidelong glare, Kal cracked a small smile.
His friend had been nothing but delighted since he’d heard about the turn his visit had taken the week before.
“Good,” he’d declared. “Best to put that silly charade to rest anyhow.”
No amount of Carver’s explanations could convince his cousin that this forced match was anything short of spectacular.
He was under the assumption—as most seemed to be—that Meg was just as smitten with him as he was of her.
But Kal ought to know better. He knew of the ruse. And in an act of kindness Carver hadn’t expected from his cousin—he’d even resisted the urge to point out that he’d called out this very danger from day one.
But Carver didn’t need to hear “I told you so” and it seemed Kal had undergone a change of heart.
“I thought you were worried about Meg being trapped just as I was,” he said now as his aunt’s attention was called away.
He and Kal had relative privacy as they stood out of the way of the guests filing into the Anderson’s large hall.
“That was before,” Kal said unhelpfully.
“Before what?”
“Before I realized she’s in love with you too, you ninny.”
Carver sighed. “How many times do I have to explain it to you and the others? We were pretending?—”
“You told yourselves you were pretending, perhaps.” Kal arched a brow. “But anyone with eyes could see that you were jealous of her and Mr. Everson?—”
“Yes, but?—”
“And that she was more than just relieved when you intervened.”
Kal had spoken louder to override his protests, and Carver blinked at him now. “Really?”
Was that true? All he could recall of that night was his own jealousy. Not to mention his own admission that he’d been jealous.
He’d been certain that he’d given himself away entirely.
So she must know how he felt.
Mustn’t she?
“There she is now,” Kal said.
Carver’s head snapped up, but he only barely caught a glimpse of her brown curls as Meg followed her parents into the hall—and then on into the parlor.
“Try not to make a scene, Carver,” his aunt said mildly the moment he took a step in Meg’s direction. “You two are to be married now. Which means it’s rather tasteless to act the besotted fool, don’t you think?”
“Thank you for your sage advice, Aunt,” he said drily.
Her lips curved up in an impish grin. “I’m not saying don’t go to her. Just…don’t trample anyone in the process, hmm?”
Kal clapped a hand on his shoulder and steered him toward the parlor. “I’ll do my best to keep him from doing anything utterly foolish.”
“You can try, dear,” his mother called after them. “But love has a way of making us all ridiculous.”
Carver did his best to be patient. He didn’t want to make Meg any more uncomfortable than he already had.
Can you do much worse than forcing the poor girl to marry you?
